Curcumin Boosts AMPK Activation, Prevents Fatty Liver

Several new studies show that curcumin activates the enzyme AMPK, along with related fat burning gene signals, thus preventing the build up of fat in liver cells.

AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) is a pivotal cell enzyme required to orchestrate the burning of fat and sugar. The first study was trying to figure out if curcumin had a mechanism that could specifically help protect against non-alcohol fatty liver disease; a common consequence of obesity-related health problems. This study showed that curcumin turned on AMPK, induced fat burning, while inhibiting fat deposition in liver cells. The researchers concluded that these mechanisms were adequate to conclude that, “curcumin extract may be active in the prevention of fatty liver.”

In a second study, researchers fed a high fat diet to mice to the point of inducing fatty liver. In the mice that were also fed curcumin, it prevented the mice from developing fatty liver. It did this by activating A…